Fans raid Fairbanks stores in search of latest ‘World of Warcraft’ expansion pack
Published Friday, November 14, 2008
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FAIRBANKS — While people tend to stay indoors and get lethargic during this time of year, the Orcs, dwarves and elves are just getting started.
On Thursday, Blizzard Entertainment released “World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King,” the second expansion pack for the popular online computer game. Gamers across the country lined up at midnight to get their hands on the highly anticipated game. But they weren’t the only ones — the game was released in Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Russia on the same day.
“World of Warcraft” is the world’s largest massively multiplayer online role-playing game and has more than 11 million subscribers worldwide. Players create characters to explore the lands of Azeroth, the fictional world where the game is based. Players fight monsters, complete quests and interact with other characters in the game. Most of the game is focused on completing quests, which include killing creatures, gathering resources and finding hidden objects.
The expansion pack includes new items, quests, improved graphics for players and increases the maximum level a player can attain.
U.S. gamers will soon be joined by players from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand as the game is released in those countries today. Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau will see the game on Tuesday.
In Fairbanks, below-freezing temperatures did little to curb the line that formed outside GameStop in the Johansen Expressway shopping center. The line for people picking up preordered games extended past the neighboring Barnes & Noble bookstore. Fans without preorders tried to retain body heat while they waited in a second line to purchase their copies.
Six hundred copies of the game were delivered to the GameStop off the Johansen Expressway, and 580 of them were already reserved, said Brittany Bray, the store’s assistant manager. Bray missed the midnight madness — when the store opened at midnight to let fans get their hands on the game as soon as it was released. But she found eager gamers waiting for her when she reopened the store Thursday morning at 10.
“Anything that has ‘Lich King’ on it has been sold out,” she said.
Bray said she knew the game would be a big deal but didn’t expect the turnout to be as big as it was.
“It’s one of the biggest games of the year,” she said.
But fans Hal Salerno, Stephen Gasparini and Chris Matzie already knew that. All three said they were on the preorder list soon after it was announced and were at GameStop on Thursday morning to pick it up.
“I was on the list two weeks after it was started,” Gasparini said.
Gasparini said he couldn’t make it to the midnight release because of work, while Matzie said the long lines deterred him from picking it up at midnight.
Salerno said new storylines offered in the expansion pack will be an improvement. Gasparini said he was excited about the expansion pack because of the new content, especially the new land of Northrend.
“There are new places to explore and new achievements,” he said.
Salerno and Gasparini did not know each other before meeting in line at GameStop but talked casually until it was revealed Salerno’s character in the game is part of the Horde while Gasparini is on the Alliance side.
“They are opposing factions; they hate each other,” Salerno said.
The two can agree on one thing when it comes to “Warcraft”: It took them a while to get really involved with the game. Salerno said there is a sizable learning curve that took some time to conquer and a “Warcraft” culture to learn.
Matzie, who aligns with the Horde, said he was instantly attracted to the game when it was first released but also found it hard to play at the beginning.
“There were many sleepless nights,” Matzie said.
Behind Gasparini in line was Michelle Champion, the opposite of the gamer stereotype. A mother of two who is expecting her third child, Champion said her husband and his co-workers introduced her to the game.
She and her son were waiting in line to pick up the expansion pack for her husband, who has been in Iraq since September.
“It’s his birthday present,” she said.
Champion said she and her husband are part of the Horde. She said that although she isn’t a big gamer, the lure of “Warcraft” was too strong.
“I saw my husband playing it, and I’m not a gamer, but it is very addicting,” she said.
Champion said she loves all aspects of the game, especially the seasons and holidays. She said she is particularly looking forward to the new continent and the new character class, the death knight.
Two versions of the expansion pack were released. The basic version retails for about $40, and the Collector’s Edition, which is more expensive, includes the expansion, a hardcover book, an exclusive in-game pet, a behind-the-scenes DVD, trading cards, a mousepad and a soundtrack for the game.
But finding the Collector’s Edition will be harder than unraveling all of the mysteries of Northrend.
Bray said GameStop only had Collector’s Editions for people who reserved them. Brad McGinnity, co-manager of Wal-Mart, said the store didn’t have any Collector’s Editions, and Melinda Merrill, director of public affairs for Fred Meyers, said the Collector’s Editions are so rare, copies are being raffled off at two Fred Meyers that specialize in Warcraft. One store is located in Anchorage, and the other is in Oregon.
Neither Wal-Mart nor Fred Meyers took preorders for the new expansion pack. McGinnity said despite that, 15 to 20 people were at the store at midnight to pick up the game. While he said the number of customers was significant for midnight, game sales “weren’t anything huge.”
Merrill, on the other hand, said sales have exceeded expectations at Fred Meyer and outpaced the first “Warcraft” expansion pack, “The Burning Crusade.”
It is still unknown if there was a rise in energy drink sales or sick days taken Thursday.
Community Discussion
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I'm sure the person at Walmart who was sitting in line with a case of Red Bull under his arm didn't go to work...
Seriously though, this was crazy. I was playing guitar hero at wal mart just watching, and they were handing out numbers so people wouldn't rush them at midnight.
Gasparini, if you are reading this. Send me an email to opsamk@gmail.com.
I think it bizarre that GameStop has succeeded in convincing customers that they must pre-order their merchandise in order to get it. I have many problems with GS as a store, but that's one of my biggest pet peeves: heaven forbid that they hold stock above and beyond what is pre-ordered. Given that the previous Warcraft expansion is (soon to be was, I'd wager) the fastest selling PC game in history, they certainly were aware it would be a big seller.
Anyway, if you are reading my comment and did not get your copy at GameStop, the University Fred Meyer still had numerous copies as of this afternoon and they won't give you the "pre-order or you're out of luck" speech.
No kidding tom54 I had my wife pickup a copy for me at Freds earlier tonight. I think its ridiculous that Game Stop only gets so many its the hottest on-line game ever why not get enough?
scarcity increases demand. Fear of not being able to buy something makes people want it more.
Oh wow. Thank God for first person shooters. :)
Rather have the laptop deal that Europe has. Kid friendly laptop for $100, buy one and one gets donated to a child in the third world.
Wait a minute. I thought that soup lines were just around the corner. The worst economy since the Great Depression. Where the heck did this disposable income come from?
Can't help but noticing, aside from the cashier, the utter lack of women in that picture.
WoW, just WoW...
I didn't bother to pre-order, but I did have concerns that I wouldn't be able to find this game! Thankfully Fred's still had a ton of them by mid-morning when I was able to get there.
Oh - by the way - I'm a woman and an avid WoW player. I just don't advertise it. ;)
That ought to make a rush to the job center and fill out applications the way they buy video games. Bet the job center doesn't have to hand out numbers so they don't get rushed.
At least all these kids sitting in front of a computer is much better than if they are out committing crimes, or getting into trouble in other ways.
Or you could all stop spending hundreds of hours in front of the computer and um...go to the gym??
People are right though: it's either addicting, or the world is full of people with addictive personalities, because everyone I know who plays or has played it talks about it like it's real. Bizarre.
I'm going to go READ A BOOK. ("Stranger Than Fiction", by Chuck Palanhiuk, which is far more fascinating than this stupid game...)
Don't go thinking we're ALL a bunch of lazy bums with no jobs! I work 50-ish hours a week, am a full time college student (with straight A's), and I work out five days a week.
But yeah, there are plenty of lazy bums that play too... ;)
The stereotypes are usually wrong when it comes to WoW. I know plenty of people from extremely varied backgrounds, young to old, male and female, employed and unemployed, who play WoW. Myself, I hold down a fulltime job on base, am a voracious reader, and am neck deep into coding (I know too many programming languages for my own good).
Now to all the players - how do you like those queues?
L62 BloodElf Mage, Drenden (yeah, I need to move to an Oceanic realm one of these days).
I got my copy at about 8pm, send me a message if your on the zangarmarsh server
glacierlies - my husband and I play a different online game. We were both employed full time up until the birth of my son (now I stay at home with him and have FAR less time in game). Saying that only unemployed people are playing online games is ridiculous. Just because you dont choose to play, dont knock it.
We look at it from an entirely different perspective. For $30 a month we get hours of entertainment. That same money will barely buy us a trip to the movies and a pop corn anymore.
I know of families who do nothing but sit and play this game on all of their free time. One family has a computer for each of their family members and they communicate by playing this game together! My daughter went to their house one time and was shocked, had me pick her up immediatly. Their house was total disarray - this game was all they did!
I think when you let your home go to the point of no clean dishes in the house & animal feces everywhere then there is a problem here!
The other family - the parents get home from work and lock themselves in their bedroom where they play WOW. Their oldest son takes care of the family.
Will there be high taxes and socialism in this alternate reality? Maybe I will start playing. People that waist all their time on this are almost as foolish as people who incessantly respond to the public comment section of the News Miner.
"People that waist all their time on this are almost as foolish as people who incessantly respond to the public comment section of the News Miner."
You have one of the highest number (576 at the time I checked) of comments of people commenting in this thread. As far as I can see only glacierles (1000+) and maybe a few others, troll this site more than you.
Can anyone find someone that has more comments than glacierles?
Anywho, where are you guys playing and what do you have?
70 BE Pally, Blood Furnace (Hopefully 71 by tonight.)
70 BE Mage, Burning Legion
70 DR Shammy, Hyjal
I know plenty of people who play WoW...AT WORK. Now those are lazy people.
World of warcraft is an addiction and an obsession. I feel sorry for those that waste and wear out their lives in such a pitiful fashion.
All I know about World of Warcraft I learned
from South Park.
To my credit, I do not waste my time on such games.
To my detriment, I do watch every episode of
South park.
To each his own . . .
Just about everyone I know that plays WoW up here is stationed at Ft. Wainwright. But I guess they're also just wasting their lives. You know, it's not like they have incredibly stressful jobs or anything and this could be a way to relieve that stress.
They're just big nerds wasting their lives.
"People that waist all their time on this are almost as foolish as people who incessantly respond to the public comment section of the News Miner."
You mean like you, roadtrip? That's what I thought.
MMORPGs can be a great avenue for individuals to sharpen their leadership skills. Guild leadership positions are even trickier than a lot of RL scenarios as you must rely on a keyboard/mic to get your point across to 35-50+ players (usually 100-300 total per guild) whose nonverbal cues are blocked. Throw in a wide range of culture, age, worldly experiences of that size of an organization and mix up those people night after night and you've got a great opportunity to learn in a "bubble". I'm very thankful for my lessons learned from 9 years of EQ.
What is so wrong with having a game to play, if it becomes to where you cannot work or stop living your life, then that might be a problem, but I have stood in line for concert tickets before, what is the difference? let people have there fun....
My husband is borderline addicted to this rediculous game and it ticks me off. I am in the military and he is a base contractor. He spends all night playing this game. On top of that we just had our first baby two months ago and I can count on one hand the number of times he has changed a diaper, given a bath or fed his son. When I ask for help 9 times out of 10 his response is "hold on let me get to a stopping point." His son should come first not, not this stupid game. I can think of alot of better ways to spend $15 dollars a month and what ever it cost to buy this game. $15 is the cost of a can of formula or a pack of diapers. He wants me to get into the game but that will never ever happen, I have a son to raise, and a house to clean while he plays his dump computer games.
i personally prefer games where i can interact with people in person. it's more fun that way. my family loves to play board games together yup board games and loves the interaction the wii gives too!
Game = something you do in your free time for fun and amusement.
Enhances your life.
Addicton/Obsession = something you do when you should be
doing life's vital tasks for self and fantasy. And you can't
stop. And you know you should. And it is hurting you,
your life, and those you love.
The game is not the problem.
Playing it to such excess that it negatively impacts
job, home, family is.
that should read "for self and FAMILY"
Interesting Freudian slip.
I must now see my therapist. . .
You all remember the Star Trek TNG episode
where everyone was playing the game that
made them feel good, and it was actually a ploy
by aliens to take over the ship?
Only Data could not be effected, so the aliens
switched him off.
I think its great people get into something wholeheartedly, by brother loves it, I cant get into it, I tried. Hey Artcic, yeah, I remember that episode, I miss Star Trek.
I don't even have internet hooked up at my cabin, I get all the staring at a computer monitor I can get at work from 830-530 M-F, my nights and weekends are spent with my better half and my dogs. And I second the board game comment, some chips, some dip, a few drinks, and all the goofing around one can handle.
Snicker, I knew Valkyrie was a gamer and I'm guessing Draconianslacker and Bladeslinger are as well. Valkyrie, three characters at level 70!? Didn't that take a lot of wasted time?
I tried WoW as a lot of my friends back home are into it but it was too cartoonish. I then tried Conan but even that was not very interesting to play. I think the main attraction of these games is the false sense of productive achievement. For those with boring, unfulfilling jobs I imagine it gives them a sense of productive achievement and self-esteem to whack some dark elves or gnomes and help to defeat a Lich.
The South Park episode, Make Love not Warcraft, is one of the best. The training montage was hilarious.
The global virtual economics of these games is interesting and apparently there are international inter-game virtual currency and virtual goods markets which generally use the US dollar as the exchange rate (yes it is possible to exchange WoW gold into Star Wars credits or for real US Dollars, to make money playing them).
Professional economists are beginning to study them to better understand macroeconomics and judges are increasingly facing legal cases concerning virtual trades and virtual property rights. I believe there was a case of a man paying US $2 million for a lone virtual space station in a game and planned to turn it into an exclusive dance club and charge players money to go there. Imagine how upset he would be if the game developers later made space stations available for other players for free, decreasing the unique value of his virtual property and he sued? I can see a judge sitting there scratching his head over the whole discussion.
A Google Scholar search for virtual world economics should turn up some academic articles on the subject
"Maybe they can come out with “World of homemaker""
They already did, it's called, 'The Sims 2'.
"My husband is borderline addicted to this rediculous game and it ticks me off."
How is it the game's fault that your husband is a terrible father?
"I have a son to raise, and a house to clean while he plays his dump computer games."
Maybe you need to have a talk with your husband, then, about this priorities instead of passive aggresively complaining about it on the internet. You seem upset about it but at the same time you're not doing anything to fix the problem. If your husband is unwilling to participate in the family you either need to help him fix his problem or leave. You're using video games as a scapegoat so you can point at that and blame it on your family's problems and not blame yourselves. Your husband for being a terrible father/husband and you for putting up with it.
"Didn't that take a lot of wasted time?"
No, I play at most 2 hours a day because of my job. The amount of misinformation on here is staggering.
"I imagine it gives them a sense of productive achievement and self-esteem to whack some dark elves or gnomes and help to defeat a Lich."
How is this different from any other hobby?
"The game is not the problem.
Playing it to such excess that it negatively impacts
job, home, family is."
^ Exactly.
No Zombies to fight??? Monsters are easy, I want the gamer challange of flesh eating ZOMBIES.
But please gamers, don't respond to this post telling me where to find them, I want the challange of hunting for them on my own... right after hell freezes over.
Let me guess, everyone who thinks online gamers are wasting their lives, never do anything wasteful in their own lives like: watch TV, smoke, drink, gamble, vote republican -- you get my point.
Do you *need* the cup of coffee in the morning or you just can't function? Do you really need those chocolates or that cigarette? Do you really need another pair of shoes to add to the 30 pair already in your closet? Do you really need to watch that <insert whatever sporting event you like here>?
Anything can become an obsession/addiction and obsessions/addictions are destructive. Yeah we all know that. Give it a break.
All these comments remind me of the recent (And ongoing) tiff between the Obama and McCain camps. Both sides "know" the other side is deluded, irrational, and just plain ignorant.
Relax people. Try some decaf or something. If we were all the same we'd never have any fun pointing out each others flaws!
My Dad, his brothers, his brother's sons, and his brother's son's sons all "get together" (virtually) and play WoW. They find it an awesome way to be able to interact with each other across the state or across the nation.
Of course, their wives all complain (more than) a bit about the obsessions...
What the hell, he's retired - he's earned it.
Personally, I won't touch it. And, I'm trying to keep my daughter away as long as possible (I'd never get to use the 'puter again!)
Geez! I think for once I agree with Valkryie! mmmwpch--I was going to ask you if your husband wasn't playing the game--do you think he would volunteer help with the baby?
My husband loves to play Call of Duty and yes any spare time he gets he plays. I don't allow him to play with the kids around because it is a pretty violent game. I don't want my kids asking "Daddy why did you blow that guys head off"! Yicks! There is nothing wrong with playing video games although it may be annoying to someone that doesn't find an interest in it. I can't play those games because they make me motion sick. I wish I could, but I have to find other things to entertain me.
"Anything can become an obsession/addiction and obsessions/addictions are destructive. Yeah we all know that."
You were right on point with that comment Goldminer.
For all those Alaskan WoW fans we should put together an alaskan Guild. What ya think?
newsreader, that's another good point. My brother lives in Ohio so getting together to play WoW is a good way for us to be able to keep in touch, and kind of sort of be able to do stuff together.
Fanfan01, I would do it if there was enough people who would actually go through with it. I don't want to fork over the $25 to transfer my character only to be stranded on a server that no one is playing on. If we could get 10 people though that would be great!
Ok well if we can get enuf people then lets try it.
email: Fan.fanec01@gmail.com
tell your WoW friends too.
Valkery, congratulation on figuring out my joke, I was making fun of myself, every one else does.
You might be a nerd if you go to the store at midnight to buy a video game, but watch out for the drunk red-necks in search of a 6-pack and a porno. As nerds are usually more intelligent that the average person I would like to suggest you spend more effort on creating intelligent offspring and a little less time on WoW. your country is depending on you.
Valkery, congratulation on figuring out my joke, I was making fun of myself, everone else does.
You might be a nerd if you go to the store at midnight to buy a video game, but watch out for us drunk red-necks in search of a 6-pack and a porno. As nerds are usually more intelligent that the average person I would like to suggest you spend more effort on creating intelligent offspring and a little less time on WoW. Your country is depending on you.
Mwahahahahaha...Score one for Mom. I am making my Son wait until next week because I don't feel like waiting in those crazy lines. Should have ordered it online. But, I think he will survive......maybe.LOL
Pixy!
That is just plain evil! Just think of all the fun his friends are having while he is left behind. I'm sure right now he is getting picked on for not being one of the "cool" kids.
WoW...really? Now I know where all the D&D kids on the back of the bus ended up. Don't forget to pick up a 12 sided die and leather pouch to hold your spells in.
"L62 BloodElf Mage, Drenden (yeah, I need to move to an Oceanic realm one of these days)"
Oh wow, you really need help.
So am I the biggest geek for not caring about the whole "are gamers losers" debate and instead focusing on the academic debate among law professors and economists about virtual goods and services? There are virtual economies bigger than many national real world economies, and many players can have an income greater than $2.30 an hour. Are there any intelligent and curious people here?
-From a supporter of Gov. Sarah Palin, despite her religious beliefs-
http://agnosticsforpalin.blogspot.com/
TheGrudge... He just fell on the floor in convulsions, oh no wait.. that was a sugar high..LOL! OH DARN, he will just have to play COD5 a few more days... pout...sniffle!
Mel1776 - I'm with ya all the way there... actually wrote a paper for my Human Resources course on how MMORPGs fit into the HR world, focusing on subtopics like currency (and its direct relationship to real moolah), hiring/firing, globalization and culture issues...etc.
Was a fun seven pages and really enjoyed the research - just started Business Law and starting to see a lot of related issues there as well.
Thanks for the interest Weather_guy. I was starting to believe in the Outside sterotype of Alaskans as backwoods retards.
Pixy,
You may tread lightly these next few days with your son, he may call social services for this blatant child abuse! I'm betting right now he would turn down water and food just for a shot at the Lich King!
No doubt Grudge, I am sure he would. Aw well, he informed me that I am the most unpopular Mom in America right now. I am sure social services will be here Monday...sigh ( I am liking the change of a little lightheartedness on here)
"but watch out for us drunk red-necks in search of a 6-pack and a porno."
Only idiots still pay for porn.
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